NoKo missile, UN Security Council both duds

posted at 8:47 am on April 6, 2009 by Ed Morrissey

In the end, maybe it was better to have North Korea demonstrate its ineptitude at rocket science. According to every source but Pyongyang, the latest version of the Taepodong-2 had as much success as its predecessor in reaching orbit: none. The failure undermines yet again the inability of North Korea to mount a legitimate threat against the US, but it wasn’t the only display of impotence this weekend:

North Korea failed in its highly vaunted effort to fire a satellite into orbit, military and private experts said Sunday after reviewing detailed tracking data that showed the missile and payload fell into the sea. Some said the failure undercut the North Korean campaign to come across as a fearsome adversary able to hurl deadly warheads halfway around the globe. …

But looking at the launching from a purely technical vantage point, space experts said the failure represented a blow that in all likelihood would seriously delay the missile’s debut.

“It’s got to be embarrassing,” said Geoffrey E. Forden, a missile expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “I can imagine heads flying if the ‘Dear Leader’ finds out the satellite didn’t fly into orbit,” he said, referring to the name North Koreans are obliged to use when speaking of Kim Jong-il, North Korea’s reclusive leader.

The real threat from North Korea doesn’t come directly to the US. The DPRK has more than enough technical capability in short-range missiles and rockets, and the main threat comes to South Korea and Seoul, which lies just a few short miles from the DMZ. No one doubts that Kim Jong-Il could ravage the South in an attack, and that would require the US to fight Pyongyang in defense of Seoul — and might bring China back in on Kim’s side. It would pull the entire Pacific Rim into the conflict.

The threat of nuclear weapons, backed with missile technology, is bad enough to make it the focus of American diplomacy for over 15 years, though. The DPRK violated yet another agreement in testing the Taepodong system for the second time in ten years, which demonstrates yet again the folly of trusting a dictator who clearly desires extortionist leverage over the US and Japan. What do you do when someone extorts you? You call the cops, but what happens when the cops don’t want to enforce the law — and they’re mostly on the side of the extortionist? Barack Obama just discovered that problem at the UN. The rocket wasn’t the only fizzle yesterday:

The U.S. and its allies sought punishment Sunday for North Korea’s defiant launch of a rocket that apparently fizzled into the Pacific, holding an emergency U.N. meeting in response to the “provocative act” that some believe was a long-range missile test.

President Barack Obama, faced with his first global security crisis, called for an international response and condemned North Korea for threatening the peace and stability of nations “near and far.” Minutes after liftoff, Japan requested the emergency Security Council session in New York. …

Council members met for three hours, seeking above all a unified response, but broke up for the night without issuing even a customary preliminary statement of condemnation. Diplomats privy to the closed-door talks say China, Russia, Libya and Vietnam were concerned about further alienating and destabilizing North Korea.

“We’re now in a very sensitive moment,” Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yesui said after the talks concluded. “Our position is that all countries concerned should show restraint, and refrain from taking actions that might lead to increased tensions.”

“All countries concerned should show restraint,” Zhang says, but he doesn’t want to do anything when one of them doesn’t — by launching an ICBM in the direction of the US. Not only did China and Russia block UNSC action again, this time the Security Council couldn’t even bring itself to wag its finger at Kim. Even the spoof version of the UN would write a strongly-worded memo (definitely not safe for work):

The UN once again proves its uselessness in enforcing international agreements. People criticized the US and the Bush administration for invading Iraq and deposing Saddam Hussein, but the UN — and specifically Russia and China — left us no choice. Had the UN taken Saddam’s violations of 17 UNSC resolutions seriously (and had they not participated in the multibillion-dollar corruption of the Oil-for-Food program), Saddam and his sons would have left the stage years before, and we could have been rebuilding Iraq in the 1990s. Now the UNSC can’t even be bothered to issue resolutions when tinpot dictators defy them.

We now have two instructional fizzles. Unfortunately, only one of them will result in serious effort to improve, and it won’t be at Turtle Bay.

Update: A commenter wonders whether we’re buying into the NK satellite launch explanation in calling this a dud. No, but perhaps people don’t understand why. An ICB has to reach space in order to achieve its ballistic arc and to hit a long-range target. If it can’t hit space, it fails as an ICBM. Kim has failed twice in ten years to reach high enough for the ballistic arc needed for an ICBM.

This headline was quite possibly the most repetitive and predictable over the last week… it was a foregone conclusion that anything the UN does will be impotent and the idea that NK has the competence to do anything correctly is ludicrous…

I don’t understand; those who claim this was a failure claim it was so because it didn’t launch a satellite. But before the launch, people were claiming that the launch was to test a missile and that NK would claim it was to launch a satellite (because this is arguably legal).

So, why are we now assuming the NK propaganda about it being a satellite launch is true? If it was simply a test of their long-range missile capacity, why would it be a failure? It seemed like the missile went a decent clip, and now they know they can launch a missile over Japan without consequences.

We know they already successfully aided Iran in launching a satellite into space in January. So, why bother doing it again? Wouldn’t it make more sense for this launch to test other capabilities?

The characterization of this ICBM as a complete failure is wrong. And it’s dangerous to pooh-pooh it as a total dud.

For the first time, NK achieved “missile staging” (1st stage drop, 2nd stage firing). Even though the upper stages eventually failed, NK demonstrated a critical, requisite step for ICBM development. So don’t discount this test completely.

We’re not assuming they were launching a satellite. A missile of its kind works by going into space, and coming back down again. It never made it into space, it just sort of crashed 400 miles outside of Japan.

In spite of the story of North Korea’s launch and the UN response, I just can’t get past looking at the ‘Big Hats‘ that the Army personnel wear. It is fascinating…don’t they realize how silly they look?

If Kim’s missile opened Obama’s eyes about disarmament and the UN, then we would call Kim a great American patriot.

But we all know better, don’t we. Obama lefties will disregard the lessons Kim so clearly presents. Obama lefties will relentlessly prop up the UN because the UN is their back door, after the courts, for installing irrevocably their domestic agenda here at home.

Never mind that the UN can’t facilitate international conflict resolution. That’s irrelevant and beside the point.

Once again, the U.N. (Useless Numbskulls) proves itself to be unquestionably, undeniably, absolutely the worst governing body of diplomats gathered together under once roof!

Why this confederacy of dunces is allowed to continue operating is completely beyond logic! They have not done one thing, not one thing, to improve conditions anywhere in the world since they were conceived, and yesterday, they proved yet again to be the biggest bunch of sniveling cowards when it comes to standing up to despots like Kim Jong Ill.

I know it will never happen while we are under the present B.O. Regime, but it would truly be refreshing to have it announced one day that the United States is officially pulling out of the U.N. strictly on the basis that it is a complete waste of time to be a member in the first place, and then have Congress formally request that the U.N. pull up residence from New York and go set up shop somewhere else where their “work” will be more appreciated.

So far, from the G20 charm offensive, we’ve gotten:
Great photo-ops for our President
housing for 1 gitmo detainee
$1 Trillion for the IMF (wait, that’s not American, so we shouldn’t count that).
An agreement for more financial regulation
More combat troops for Afghanistan (combat TRAINERS? What the heck? ok, remove this, too)

North Korea’s goal was not to put a satellite into orbit. Its goal was to fire a long range missile with little or no repercussion from the international community. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

As a side note, ever since the first Taepodong missile launch, North Korean television has a watermark of a broadcasing Sputnik-like satellite because everyone in Korth Korea believe they now have satellite television.

The staging is good enough to top it off with a weapon, ship it to Iran and fire it at Israel. People won’t do anything until thousands are vaporaized or an entire hemisphere is electronically wiped out by an EMP. Bear in mind, the mad mullahs could try something that stupid off the U.S. east coast. If you want to get back to the stone age in a real big hurry… this will get you there. Oh, and anyone with a pacemaker? Dead. So all the libs out there, regardless of whether we have one or 101 UN resolutions…. continuing this approach is dangerous. Even Neville Chamberlain is rolling in his grave.

A rogue nation that just two years ago began tearing down their nuclear arsenal because of the Bush administration’s foreign policy and in less than 100 days Barack Obama’s appeasement approach has left North Korea and China emboldened enough to ramp up their military arsenal. China was added to this proclamation because North Korea would never have launched this missile without China’s blessing. Obama has allowed this so that his new liberal leadership can tell the world leaders that America needs to be less aggressive and more open to accepting other country’s views. Now he tells the world that the United States should set the tone of nuclear disarmament, one of the sure strengths this nation has used as a deterrent since the two bombs were released on Japans soil that put an end to WWll.

All this while Barack Obama travels the world stage asking other nations to participate, (spend their own money), in solving the global financial recession which he did not achieve. Apparently the hundreds of thousands of lives this nation sacrificed during two world wars to prevent European nations and Great Briton from being completely destroyed by dictatorships like Germany, Japan, and Russia, no longer count in Obama’s historical perspective. And now the liberal leadership is contemplating withdrawing U.S. bases throughout Europe that has provided the military balance and protection that these nations have not had to expend at their own at an enormous cost. And on the economic side, our U.S. currency is being considered for replacement.

In the little time he has been overseas he has weakened this nation’s strengths far too much while receiving virtually nothing in return. And while the news media has provided and promoted the “Obama world peace tour”, few noticed that our liberal democrat congress passed the largest spending budget in our nation’s history—3.55 trillion with half providing us in pure unfunded debt. In 2006, since the democrats have taken power of our government, this nation has spent three times the amount of the total eight years of the Bush administration, (including the cost of prosecuting two wars), and they are not finished. Their health care, energy, and education policy additions are expected to cost this nation between another five to ten TRILLION DOLLARS of unfunded debt that amounts to generational theft. All of these policies are putting this nation in permanent financial ruin while our President thinks it’s more important that other nations will like us better broke and more fiscally reliant on their wishes at a huge price.

I think it’s time for this nation to call its President home before he does any more damage in the guise of appeasement and understanding. We cannot afford any more “power-sharing” and disarmament in the name of peace and love. Ronald Reagan brought down a powerful adversary in Russia by strengthening our defenses at home and abroad. Barack Obama is tearing it all down in less than 100 days.

I’d love to see a president meet with all these world leaders and just publicly tell China and Russia off. Nothing will ever get done as long as we allow thug nations like these to be accepted as part of the group of civilized nations. Especially China which has no business being part of any legitimate organization.

We’ll show North Korea they cant launch missiles by reducing our nuclear weapons and sending other countries trillions in American taxpayer dollars-BO. -The new age of Obama’s foreign policy-just think Obama has so many foreign policy experts advising him and all…They are just so intelligent and worldly…/sarc

The international hyenas are moving in laughing at us and planning how they will rip America apart and devour her. We are so screwed.

Where do you get that? It could have been a successful (or moderately successful) long-range missile test. This missile traveled twice as far as any previous missile they’ve tested before.

NK claims this missile is space capable only because they claim it is designed to launch satellites.

blue13326 on April 6, 2009 at 9:22 AM

It is believed they launched an ICBM, right? Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. Or at least were attempting to show that their technology had reached that point Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles go up into space before they come back down.

It did not go into space. So by all accounts, it was a failure. Unless they wanted us to think they failed so they could launch a missile into the pacific.

While many analysts have looked at the launching through a military lens, some say another perspective involves political rivalries on the Korean peninsula. For years, South Korea has been gearing up to fire a satellite into orbit and join the space club. Its spaceport of Oinarodo is nearly ready, but a launching scheduled for this month was delayed, giving North Korea an opening.
“They’re racing to beat the South Koreans,” said Tim Brown, a senior fellow at GlobalSecurity.org, a private group in Alexandria, Va

So when the South Koreans successfully launch a satellite, it’ll make the DPRK look even more inept, if such a thing was possible… ;-)

Dear Leader,
If you continue on this road of developing nuclear weapons and ICBM’s I will be forced to go to the UN and seek a resolution condemning your actions. Violations of UN resolutions will result in more resolutions. Never forget that we have more paper than you have missiles. This is your final warning.

I think Russia and China defned countries like Irag, North Korea in order to move us towards an armed\hot war in order to drin our treasury. There is reason nations in the past took the wealth of the conquered nations, refill the coffers. We do not do that. In fact, after we beat a nation, we spend money to rebuild it.

It wasn’t meant to go into space. What if it was a direct hit in the exact spot in the sea??? By the way, Obama asked for more troops from NATO – FAIL. He came to the G20 with a huge economic plan – FAIL. Ironic that the North Korean missile was the only thing that wasn’t shot down.

As a side note, ever since the first Taepodong missile launch, North Korean television has a watermark of a broadcasing Sputnik-like satellite because everyone in Korth Korea believe they now have satellite television.

If the payload was actually a communications satellite, then let it broadcast views of the oceans bottom. If DPRK cannot send us the pictures, then the launch had nothing to with exploration but alot to do with extortion.

Hey, you know what would really put the fear of death in Kim Jong Il? If obama flips him the bird during one of his teleprompter speeches like he did to McCain. You know he means business when he gives the finger. Scary stuff!

Serious question: What do you think Obama should actually *do* about this situation?

It’s clear that the UN is useless, and this obviously isn’t a surprise. But before you criticize Obama, what do you actually want him to do? Bush didn’t necessarily do anything proactive, and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, given the potential conflict that could arise as Ed points out.

Serious question: What do you think Obama should actually *do* about this situation?

It’s clear that the UN is useless, and this obviously isn’t a surprise. But before you criticize Obama, what do you actually want him to do? Bush didn’t necessarily do anything proactive, and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, given the potential conflict that could arise as Ed points out.

tneloms on April 6, 2009 at 10:15 AM

Personally, I want him to get serious with China and lean on them to lean on North Korea.

One thing to consider is the Japanese in all of this.

Eventually they are going to want to get a nuke to counter the NK threat.

Oh, and I hope they considered shooting the missile down in flight, just to show them that we could.

Now that would have been spectacular. Insane, but spectacular.

Otis B on April 6, 2009 at 12:31 PM

Only problem with a shoot down is that it exposes your frequencies, capablities and tactics. Things you’d rather keep the bad guys guessing about.

OTOH, if Jugears follows in the footsteps of Willie “cigar inserter” clinton, then all Kim the gargoyle has to do is wait for a sleepover invite at the white house. He’ll get a good dinner and all our secrets on a silver platter.

***
KELLEY IN VIRGINIA asked about EMP–Electromagnetic Pulse–weapons. These are nuclear or fusion bombs designed to output less blast and fallout and to output much more high energy radio and microwave energy to burn out and destroy electronic equipment and power systems. Some conventional explosive weapons can do EMP over more limited distances.
***
One early H-bomb test in the South Pacific in 1950’s totally blacked out radio and radar systems for hundreds of miles. The effects lasted half an hour or so. The military designs their equipment to withstand these effects.
***
White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico does simulations of these effects on military items to make sure they will operate after an atomic or fusion blast–if they are out of the immediate destruction zone. A neutron burst from a reactor in a well below the equipment and lightning bolts from a screen above the equipment furnish simulated EMP effects for testing.
***
I do not think our enemies care much about EMP weapons–they want to kill and destroy all the people and infrastructure they can. The biggest and dirtiest bomb they can get and use is their dream–not sophisticated damage to your home computer and big screen T.V.!
***
John Bibb
***

If the rocket never got much past stage 2, then it wouldn’t have followed the flight path shown in the linked globalsecurity.org graphic. Perhaps someone out there has generated (or will generate) an updated graphic?